Spindle assembly for machine tools



Feb. 4, 1958 L. O. CARLSEN ET AL SPINDLE ASSEMBLY FOR MACHINE TOOLS Original Filed June 25, 1952 FIG.

INVENTORS LEONARD O CARLSEN HERMAN A. MALE s l vw I Q KY,

ATTORNEY United States Patent SPINDLE ASSEMBLY FOR MACHINE TOOLS Leonard 0. Carlsen, Rochester, and Herman A. Male, Brighton, N. Y., assignors to The Gleason Works, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application June 25, 1952, Serial No. 295,452,

now Patent No. 2,792,764, dated May 21, 1957. Divided and this application August 11, 1954, Serial No. 449,208

8 Claims. (Cl. 308-236) The present invention relates to a spindle assembly for machine tools, such for example as the cutter spindle assembly of a bevel gear cutting machine, and is a division of our co-pending patent application Serial No. 295,452, filed June 25, 1952, for Gear Cutting Machine Spindle Mounting, now Patent Number 2,792,764.

Such a spindle is advantageously journaled in axially spaced anti-friction bearing units comprising ball bearings whose inner and outer races are respectively mounted on the spindle and within bores in their supporting member. The cutter mounting surface of the spindle is preferably ground while the spindle is rotated in these same bearings, so that any eccentricity of such surface is obviated. However it has been discovered that in continued use of the machine the inner races will gradually creep around the spindle, and the outer races around the bores in the supporting member, with the result that eccentricity of the cutter mounting surface develops. To obviate this condition, each race is interlocked by keying means to the member on which it is mounted. According to the invention the inner race keying means includes a keyway formed in the race, a key mounted in the spindle for movement relative thereto between a first position wherein it projects from the spindle into the keyway and a second position wherein it is retracted from the keyway into the spindle, a key actuating member movable in the spindle in opposite directions and accessible from one end of the spindle for the purpose of being so moved, and a positive-acting and reversible drive connection between said member and the key whereby the latter may be positively moved between said first and second positions in either direction by moving said member. Preferably the key actuating member is rotatable in the spindle about an axis extending in the general direction of the spindle axis, the member having gear teeth meshing with rack teeth provided on the key. Hence by rotation of the member relative to the spindle, the key may be engaged in the keyway during assembly of the spindle and bearing units or withdrawn from the keyway to permit disassembly.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view through the spindle assembly; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section in the plane 2-2 of Fig. l.

The invention is shown as applied to a gear cutting machine of the general type disclosed in Patent No. 2,667,818, granted February 2, 1954, to A. L. Stewart and L. O. Carlsen. The spindle housing of the machine has as a part thereof a quill 23 which is supported by parts 16 and 17 for adjustment about axes T and W which intersect at point A, and also for adjustment along axis T, as is more fully described and claimed in the specification of our aforementioned co-pending application Serial No. 295,452. The quill 23 is firmly secured to parts 16 and 17 by means which include a key 34. The cutter spindle 18, on whose nose the face mill gear cuttcr C is mounted, is driven through a gear train includ- "ice ing gears 51, 52, 53, 40 and 41, the latter being secured on the spindle.

The spindle is journaled in quill 23 in front and rear ball bearing units each of which has outer annular races 54 fitted in bores .in the quill and inner annular races 55 fitted on the spindle. The bearing units are retained, under an axial preload, in assembly with the quill and the spindle by a shoulder at the outer end of the spindle and a nut threaded on the inner end of the spindle, as shown. The bearing races are fitted tightly to their respective supporting parts 23 and 18 but in order to prevent them from creeping rotatively relative to these parts they are interlocked to the latter by keying means. These means comprise pins 56 that have their inner ends squared to engage in the radial keyways in the inner end faces of the races 54 and that are locked in the quill by clamp screws as shown. The keying means further comprise keys 57 engaging in radial keyways in the inner end faces of races 55. Each key 57 is slidable in a diametrical bore through the spindle and is provided with rack teeth meshing with pinion teeth out in a shaft 58 which is rotatable in the spindle eccentrically of axis T. The keys 57 may be shifted axially to engage in the keyways in races 55, or to withdraw therefrom, by turning shaft 58. The shaft may be turned with a suitable wrench engaged with head 59 of the shaft, after first removing a lock screw 61 which holds the shaft against rotation in the spindle when the machine is assembled.

- What we claim is:

1. A machine spindle assembly comprising a spindle housing, a spindle journaled in the housing on anti-friction bearing means including a bearing race mounted on the spindle, said race having a keyway formed therein, a key mounted in the spindle for movement relative thereto between a first position wherein it projects from the spindle into said keyway and a second position wherein it is retracted from the keyway into the spindle, a key actuating member movable in the spindle in opposite directions and accessible from one end of the spindle for the purpose of being so moved, and a positive-acting and reversible drive connection between said member and the key whereby the latter may be positively moved between said first and second positions in either direction by moving said member.

2. A machine spindle assembly comprising a spindle housing, a spindle journaled in the housing on antifriction bearing means including a bearing race mounted on the spindle, said race having a keyway formed therein, a key mounted in the spindle for movement relative thereto between a first position wherein it projects from the spindle into said keyway and a second position wherein it is retracted from the keyway into the spindle, a key actuating member rotatable in the spindle about an axis extending in the general direction of the spindle axis and having one end thereof accessible from one end of the spindle, and a positive-acting and reversible drive connection between said member and the key whereby the latter may be positively moved between said first and second positions in either direction by turning said member in the spindle.

3. A machine spindle assembly comprising a spindle housing, a spindle journaled in the housing on anti-friction bearing means including a bearing race mounted on the spindle, said race having a keyway formed therein, a key mounted in the spindle for movement relative thereto between a first position wherein it projects from the spindle into said keyway and a second position wherein it is retracted from the keyway into the spindle, and means mounted in the spindle and operable from one end of the latter for moving the key between said first and second positions, said means comprising a member o.

i3 tatable in the spindle about an axis extending in the general direction o'fthe spindle axis; said member having gear teeth thereon, and the key having rack teeth meshing withrsaid-gqanteeth and-being movable in therspin-t dle substantially radially of the latter.

4. A machine spindle assembly .comprising.,-a .spindle housing a..sp,indle ,journaled:inatheghousing on :antifrictionbearing rneans including a,--p ir .of innerihearing races mounted.on thetspindle in end to. end relationship to each other, the-adjacent .en'd faces ofnsaid vracesueach having-.a :keyway thereimgsaidtkeywaysebeing aligned to hereby form: a single skey-receiving r opening extending substantially; -radia.-llyt of, the races and a key mounted inc-the; spindle for: movement relative :thereto between a first .positionwherein-it projects into said opening. com-, prising bothykeyvvays and; a second vposition wherein ;it isgretracted from, thekeyways into; thespindle.

5.; Anmachineaspindle assembly (com-prising a spindle housing; ;a .wspindlej ijqllrnaled i l :thc housing on 1 anti-frictionbearingmeans including., at, least one inner bearing racetmountedgon -the;=spin,dle and :a pair of outer-bearingrracesmounted'inithe housing in end to endirelationship tQeach othensaidinner race having a keywayformed thereimna key mounted in .the? spindle for movement rel-. ative thereto :between. a firstzvposition; wherein itiprojects from :the espindle'. into .said :keyway and a second. position'wherein tit iissretraetedi from the .keyway into the spindle, the .adjacenttendzfaces 2 off said outer traces each having az-keywaytherein,1said keyways .of the :outer races being :aligned .:to :thereby.:form a single key-receiving opening extending substantially radially *ofltheraces and a key removably mounted in the housing andprojecting into said-a opening :comp'rising both of the last-mentioned keywayst 6. A machinespindle assembly comprising -a spindle l1ousing,-a spindle journaled in the housing on anti-frictionbearing means including -a-pair 'ofinner bearing races mounted .on the spindlein end to end relationship to each other,--theadjacent end faces'ofsaid races each having -a keyway thereinysaid *keyways being aligned to-thereby form asingle key-receiving opening extending substantially radially of the races, a key movable substantially-radially in said spindle-between a first positlon wherein it projects from the spindle into said openin'g*comprising""both 'keyways and "a 'second position in which it is retracted from said-opening, a key actuating member rotatable in the spindle about an axis extending in the general direction of the spindle axis and having one end thereof accessiblefrom one end of the spindle, randr apositive-actingi and reversible drivea-:connection between said member and the key whereby the latter rnay 'be positlvelyimoved betiveenasaidfirst ancl'sec- 0nd positions: in either 'direc'tion hy turning said Jimmber in thespindle.

7. A 'gmachineespiudlei: :assembly 'icomprisinglia vspindle housing; aispindleiionrnaled-iiu ithethousin gt on santi-frictio'n bearin'gs which in'cl-tide af pair Oftil'lllfil races mounted on the spindle in end to end relationship to'each other, the adjacent end .-.vfaces:of said races-.each having a keyway therein, said keyways being aligned to thereby form a single, .key receiving opening extending substantially radially .of :said :races, and a key mounted removably inthe spindle and. projecting into said opening comprising bot-h tkeyyvays;

t8.tA machine spindlenassembly comprising a spindle housing, a spindlefljo urnaledk'ini the housing. on :anti-frictionbearingsqwhichjincludea. pair of outer vraces mounted in the housing in .end' to,en'd.. relationshipv to each other, the, adjacent endvffaces. of said..races-. each having a keywayi .therein,,.said"key\vays, .beingaligned to. thereby .form a single. keyrteceiving openingextending substantially radiallyof said; races, andiaskey mounted .removably :in' the :housing ,and .pr ojectingtintoisaid. opening comprise" ing,. both, keyways:

L'RferencesCitedlin,the;file of this patent 1 UNITED.v :SIEATES :PATENTS 459,641 France Mar. -8,,,19v.l-3. 

